Bombardier Targets "Emerging Markets"

Bombardier says a major portion of its business in coming years will come from Russia, China and India as well as South Africa and Brazil. In a ceremony to launch the Challenger 605 business jet in Mumbai, company spokesman Murray Sutherland said that market opportunities move with the changing fortunes of various parts of the world and global enterprises like Bombardier move with them. "The business is so international it makes us fairly immune to problems that are specific to some countries," he told Reuters. "But it would be foolish of us to disregard high oil prices or a possible downturn in the U.S. economy." At the same time, the Indian media was revelling in the attention from the world's third largest aircraft maker. The Hindustan Times noted that Indian business is expanding "at jet's speed" and that's what has attracted Bombardier towards Indian Aviation. It quoted Bombardier's South Asia managing director Nilesh Pattanayak as saying the market is ripe for the company's products. "India is an important market for us and we expect many orders from the billion dollar club. We equate the Indian market with other emerging markets of Russia, China and Brazil where business jets are in demand."

The X factor in Indian Aviation...

The Times of India says a budget airline, which it did not identify, has rehired a pilot who lost his medical because he's suspected of being epileptic. The newspaper says the condition was spotted during an electroencephalogram (EEG) and it was reported to the pilot and the airline. The newspaper says its sources claim the pilot went to the U.S. to recertify because an EEG is not required unless there is a history of brain injury or disease. The Times says its sources assume the pilot did not mention the failed EEG during the U.S. examination and was given his medical. On his return to India, the same airline that had to let him go for the failed medical rehired him. India's director-general of civil aviation Kanu Gohain has promised to investigate. "We will look into the matter. How can he fly in India if he failed medicals here?" Gohain said. The newspaper also claims that there is a pilot flying in India on a single transplanted kidney. Whether that's a violation of medical regulations isn't clear, but the Times said it's indicative of the desperate shortage of "qualified" pilots as a new "retirement bubble" looms. "After the retirement age was increased from 60 to 65 in 2004, retirements froze for a while as 60-plus commanders continued to fly. But there will be a spate of retirements in 2009